The inevetiable aftermath
by Thawn716
Summary: Zutara. Four years after the end of ATLA Sokka and his family visit the fire nation taking along an unexpected guest.
1. Diary of Jane

Standard disclaimer: I don't own ATLA. who would have guessed.

AN: No I haven't watched the finale but I found out the ending and quite frankly I was pissed. So I found myself unable to get to sleep (bloody thunder storms) which led to me thinking about the finale and this idea for a short story popped into my head.

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"Zuko, we need to talk." Iroh, a little older then he had been four years ago said as he came out of a hallway leading into the training area. Zuko turned to face his uncle, the four years had aged Zuko much both his temper meant and looks. He was beginning to resemble his father closely though the scar would forever separate someone from mistaking him for his father. "What is it Uncle, I haven't heard you use that tone for quite some time."

"Thats because things have been going well nephew. But it has been three years since you broke up with Lady Mai and you haven't so much as looked for another partner." Zuko frowned, the council liked to bring up this point enough but Uncle now too. "I have already told the council the answer I will tell you. I will look for a partner when the nation is on it's feet enough to not need me the moment something goes wrong. Thats what happened with Mai remember?" Now it was Iroh's turn to frown, Zuko may like to think that his duty as Fire Lord drove a wedge between Mai and him but Iroh knew that if Zuko had truly loved the girl he wouldn't have let his duties do that. "Zuko, I think that you are over simplifying the situa." Iroh was cut off by a voice of someone entering the courtyard.

"Not that I mean to interrupt this no doubt highly important conversation about ZuZu's love life or lack thereof but I came here to tell you that Lord Sokka and his wife are going to be arriving today with their daughter Kia." (AN I don't know if Azula died but I don't care) Zuko turned to look at his sister who stood leaning against one of the many pillars surrounding the arena. "Thank you Azula, I'll head down to the docks and meet them." With that Zuko exited the arena the same way that Iroh had come in.

"You could have waited to tell him that, I thought I was getting through to him." Iroh said wearily to his niece. Azula unmoving as she leaned against the pillar replied nonchalantly "Uncle, nothing anybody can say or do will make Zuko look for someone to be his mate. It's up to him to look and he currently has managed to delude himself into thinking that it's because he's Fire Lord. We both know that Mai and him didn't love each other, I mean their still friends and all but she's married now happily too. And I'm not sure if Zuko will ever get that."

Iroh looked at his niece, not the monster she was but a few years ago but now she was like her mother. Of course she still had that mean streak in her but given the circumstances she could be much worse off. "You have changed much over a very short period of time Azula, your mother would be proud of you." Azula though she tried to hide it looked a little hurt over the remark. Anyone trying to bring up her mother would often find themselves being singed or shocked, because unlike Zuko Azula had no experience with a parent who actually cared for her. "Well them she should have at least tried to be a mother to me all those years ago and she could have been prouder a lot sooner." Was all Azula said as she left the training area.

Zuko now in the traditional robes of the Fire Lord began the walk down to the docks. He had a small retinue of guards with him but nothing much, many people were shocked actually when they first saw him walking the streets after he became Fire Lord but Zuko's experiences in the earth kingdom as a refugee had taught him some measure of humility. He walked where ever he needed to go and treated the servants at the palace well. As through districts his mind began to wander, when he had first started these little walks it had been right after the war had ended. Back when there had been plenty of people angry over the end of the war, he remembered that there had been several assassination attempts against him which was when the guards were added. It wasn't that he couldn't protect himself but people tended to assume that guards were better at being able to stop an assassin then the target of the assassin.

As Zuko stepped on to the pier of the dock he was surprised to see that the there was already a water tribe ship there, it was in the process of being moored to the pier so he assumed that it was Sokka's ship an assumption that turned out to be correct. As a gangplank was placed in between the ship and Zuko stepped on board a strange sound like "Uncle Zuko" was heard as a small blue bullet rammed into the fire lords chest. "Hello Kia." The Fire Lord said as he looked down at the small water tribe girl currently hugging him. "Hi Uncle Zuko, Mommy said that if I'm good I'll get to feed the turtle ducks." As a smile spread across Zuko's face he nodded "An does attacking an innocent ruler of a nation count as being good." He asked the small child.

"Of course it does, I mean if it didn't then it would mean that we have a pint sized assassin on our hands." Came the voice of Sokka as he stepped onto the ships deck. Sokka too had gotten older, looking more like his father and his voice didn't crack anymore. Behind him came Suki who walked over to pick up Kia. "Nice to see you Zuko." Suki said as she bent down to lift the girl, Sokka walked over to Zuko and surprisingly to the Fire Lord brought him into a hug. "Oh and I forgot we have an unexpected passenger." Sokka told Zuko as he gestured to the door leading below deck. As the door opened Katara emerged older and looking much more like her mother. "So where's Aang" Zuko asked innocently." At this Katara scowled and simply began walking towards the palace."

"It's a long story, which she probably doesn't want you to know." Sokka told Zuko as they both watched Katara's retreating form. When Sokka felt she was out of earshot he leaned over to Zuko "So I'll tell it to you very quietly as we make our way to the palace." Zuko nodded to him as they began to walk up the path to the palace.

Sokka began telling his story making sure that the rather angry water bending master couldn't hear him. "Now everything was fine between her and Aang, well I guess fine isn't the right world Aang thought that everything was great and Katara kept on telling us that she felt she had made the wrong choice. I'm still not sure if she simply meant the relationship or if there was another guy somewhere but Katara for at least those first two years put up motions of loving Aang in public. The fights started after that, at the start they were just little but as Aang started to well even I'll admit it he was being kind of jealous over anyone who so much as spent time with her outside of family. In fact a pupil Katara was teaching Aang nearly bent him into the ocean when he saw them sparring. Then a few months ago Aang gets called to the northern air temple by some Guru, I think it was the same one from before and off Aang goes in the night didn't even ask Katara to come and that kind of made her snap. She simply walked on to my ship when we were leaving said that she wasn't going to be anywhere near Aang when he gets back and fast forward a few stops on our trip and here we are."

"I never thought Aang would be like that. I mean he's the Avatar isn't he supposed to be all in balance within himself?" Zuko likewise had lowered his voice. "Thats the thing it turns out he never did the final chakra, it dealt with earthly attachments or something like that. I can kind of get it I mean if I ever had to give up meat I don't think I could." Suki's voice then came back to the two of them, "Are you two going to hurry up or do you plan on gossiping like a pair of old women all day."

"Coming honey." Sokka yelled as he ran up to catch her. This left Zuko who continued on at his leisurely pace, wondering what this turn of events will end up meaning.

**Later that day**

Zuko walked through the halls of the palace. Towards the servants chambers, more because he needed to tell them not to hide from Katara. In previous visits with the Avatar she had frozen twelve servants to walls and even once blood bended one out of the room she had been in. Though this was as much Aang's fault as hers since those servants were giving her "summons" from the Avatar to join her or go on some colossal waste of time trip through the city. Honestly Zuko didn't understand the fun of window shopping when you also didn't believe in having unnecessary luxuries. In fact the servants had at one point tried to bribe one of the handful of Dai-Li guards to deliver one of the summons. He had replied you could offer me the crown of the earth king and I still wouldn't do it.

Zuko reached the door to the servants quarters, he reached for the hidden latch simply because servants were not meant to be bothered off duty this stopped noisy nobles from ordering them around. This kept the servants happy and happy servants are less likely to put poison in your tea his uncle had once told him. Zuko felt the eyes in the room turn to him and they immediately bowed to the Fire Lord clearing his throat he looked at them. "I've come to tell you that the Lady Katara is her." At that the mumbled moans and even one person who had the unlucky experience of being frozen four times began to sob a little. "Don't worry the Avatar is not with her so you won't have to interact with her unless she wants to." With that Zuko simply left the room and headed towards his Mother's garden that was nearby.

As Zuko stepped on to the grass he noticed with some surprise that Katara was here, "Hello Katara." She looked up from the pool that she sat in front of and patted the grass next to her indicating for him to take a seat. "Hi Zuko." She said as he sat down, "It's a lovely garden." Zuko looked at the tiny geyser she was making in the water the turtleducks would swim through them, or try to at least since they tended to get a little air time when they entered them before they landed back in the pond. "Yes it's one of the last things I have to remember my mother, most of her prized possessions she took with her. All thats left is this garden and her crown, and someday that will be my own wife's crown."

Katara stopped playing with the water and looked right at Zuko's face, "Zuko I want you to answer this question and answer it truthfully." Zuko looked at Katara a little confusion showing on his face but he decided that it couldn't hurt to find out what she wanted to know. "Go ahead Katara." She took a breath, to calm herself maybe. "Why, right after we had beaten Ozai and you were crowned fire lord that you said good bye to everyone but me. Even Aang but you disappeared when I tried to say goodbye."

Zuko's face betrayed no emotion to those who didn't know the Fire Lord well but Katara though she couldn't read him as well as say Azula could tell that the question had caught him off guard. "It's because that when I found out about you and Aang, it's just that I always figured it was going to happen but I held on to some small bit of hope that well." Katara's face now looked confused. "You hoped for what Zuko?" Zuko began to stand up and he walked a small distance away before turning. "I had feelings for you Katara, it all started at Ba Sing Se and it just kept on growing after I joined your group. But I knew that you wouldn't feel the same because well you had the Avatar. But when you went with me to face Azula I foolishly let my hopes get up, but after you healed me and all you said was that you should be thanking me I knew that you must not have felt that same. So if you want the reason why I wasn't there was because I didn't trust myself around you at the time, I didn't want to ruin our friendship over a stupid crush of mine."

Katara stood up as she slowly moved over to Zuko, she reached her hand up and put her hand on his scar. Just like she had done back in Ba Sing Se. "Zuko I had feelings for you too back then, but I didn't think you would reciprocate them. I mean you had Mai so I thought that I knew that Aang had feelings for me and back then I took the safe route instead of taking a chance with you. And what did that get me, four years of an annoying, immature, jealous, controlling airbender." A smirk spread across Zuko's face at the names she called the air bender. "You forgot preachy Katara."

A smile spread across her face "Yes I supposed I did didn't I. Zuko do you think that you and I could we have a second chance." Zuko's arms wrapped around Katara as he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. As he pulled back he said in a low voice "Thats all up to you because I never stopped loving you."

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Well this was originally just going to be a one shot but I might make it a chapter or two longer just so that it isn't too bloody long. Plus I'm tired.


	2. Next to Nothing

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, though I would like to own the play the boy in the iceberg.

First of all thanks for the support from those who took the time to review. And to respond to Jfjkf I think I'm cursed because this is the second fic that I've have spelled the title wrong at the start. Anyway about the grammar thing it might be that I'm Canadian which has a little different spelling for some words but if anyone wants to give me specific examples I will try to rectify them. And blarg for the spelling of Kia, since it's actually Kya.

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Katara was bored, Zuko had been in meetings all day and Iroh was off wooing the older women of the court. Sokka, Suki and Kya were off in the city for the day and were going to see a play later on. It had actually been suggested by Zuko so Katara figured that something was up, then again Zuko had changed a lot in the past years. Despite the fact that he had begun to look a lot like his father you could simply tell from his bearing that Zuko was calmer, more in control person then he was back during the war.

As she heard a knock behind her she spotted a servant who currently seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible. "Can I help you?" Katara asked, the servant startled by her seemingly calm mood seemed to remember his purpose. "My lady you are requested by General Iroh to meet him at the terrace overlooking the back of the palace." Katara nodded to the servant happy to have something to do now.

As she walked towards the terrace she halted as she saw Azula coming towards her. Neither of them had so much as talked to each other since the fire princesses breakdown and subsequent recovery. But from the look in her eye Katara knew that Azula had something to say to her. "You seem to have a bad habit of ruining people's lives you know that water bender. I suppose that as the war was winding down you needed a specialty other then fighting and this was the closest thing to it huh" Katara slightly shocked by the seemingly nonchalant way that she said, it managed to splutter out "What are you talking about?"

All that Azula did was smirk as she leaned back slightly. Savoring whatever victory she felt she was going to win, an obvious portion of the old Azula showing as she began to speak " Well let me think, first you destroyed my life and then not so long afterward you destroyed Zuko's. He might not have tried to show it but your choosing of the avatar hurt him enough that even my damaged mind could see. And now you plan on destroying the Avatar's life too, isn't that a nice bit of irony." Katara stared at the fire princess. "I, I didn't destroy..." she sighed "You can't blame me for what happened to you but, I destroyed my own life too by choosing Aang. I've just gone through three years of dealing with an absent, jealous and immensely power bender."

Azula showed no reaction but simply began to walk past her. "If you hurt Zuko you won't last the night." Katara stiffened from the obvious threat, "Azula, I'm not going to hurt Zuko. I've had feelings for him for a long time I was just afraid to act on them. As for me destroying Aang's life maybe this will finally be the catalyst for him to grow up I'm done feeling sorry for him after all thats happened since the war ended."

Azula watched as Katara walked away heading toward the terrace, when she was out of sight a smile crept across her face. Maybe just maybe she would fit into this strange little family.

As Katara walked on to the terrace she was shocked to see a small table with on it. Zuko's voice came behind her "I wanted to surprise you." He gestured to the table and pulled out the chair for her. As Katara sat down Zuko took the seat opposite of her. "I wanted you to see the view of the sunset hitting the water, plus I wanted it to be a surprise. Figured that a little romance would have been a nice change for the both of us."

Katara just looked at her lap, taking a deep breath before she started to speak. "Zuko what is this?" Zuko simply looked confused, "Katara where is this coming from. I mean if you don't want a relationship why didn't you say so yesterday." At this Katara looked up as she hastily began to talk "No Zuko it's not that it's just that, well on the way here Azula said that all I do is destroy lives since the war ended and maybe I'm just a destructive person. Maybe I do it on some level to try to make the world pay for taking my Mother away..." She seemed to drift off at that point before refocusing on Zuko. "Maybe it would be best if I just left.

As katara stood up and began to walk away Zuko too quickly got out of his seat, he caught up to her and spun her around to face her. "I have never seen you truly question yourself Katara, not even when I had you tied to a tree and tried to bribe you with your mother's necklace. I have seen you angry, disillusioned and way too nice but I have never seen you not think that you were doing the right thing, even when you were doing the wrong one in your mind." Katara was still looking at her feet, Zuko brought his hand up and lifted her head to look at him. "You are one of the most amazing women I have ever met, it wasn't your fault for what happened after the war. Neither of us had any idea what the other was feeling and you knew how Aang felt about you, no one can blame you for going with Aang I mean the kid was so obviously desperate for a relationship with you. Hell I could see it when I was still chasing you."

Katara now let out a smile, "Thank you Zuko, but thats the thing when Aang finds out he's going to freak out. He just wanted that relationship so much more then me, I mean I could have blood bended him off a cliff and he would have still come back and forgiven me." Zuko couldn't help but let a smile come across his face as he led her to the terrace. "This is where my Mother loved to tell me and Azula stories as kids. This was before Azula became the living weapon you guys knew her as." Katara turned and looked at Zuko's face, the scar was something she never felt detracted from his face. As she reached her hand up and place it on the scar Zuko reflexively turned his head to look at her. "Zuko, I'm sorry for earlier it's just that your sister really got to me." Zuko let out a sad smile. "There is still some elements from how she was, it was basically her own little way of welcoming you, seeing as you two had never really spoken to each other."

A nervous cough from the doorway made them turn and they saw a servant with a serving tray of food. As the two of them sat down to enjoy their meal Katara looked up to Zuko. "What play did you suggest to Sokka and Suki to go see." At this Zuko's face widened into a grin. "It's a little play called "The boy in the Iceberg"." Katara felt her jaw drop, "You sent them to see that play? That horrible play?" Zuko smiled a knowing smile. "Actually the new director has changed the play significantly, feels that it's much more truthful."

"Whose the new director Zuko?" Zuko began to grin even wider. "She's a new director, just moved her from the earth kingdom to get away from her parents." Katara began to pale "No Zuko Toph can't be the new director. I mean didn't I hear you bought the play." Zuko started chuckling "Of course the only way I let her direct was if she fixed some parts of the play." Katara sighed "I assume that means any part with the fire lord in it." Zuko nodded before saying "That but for one special showing tonight it has a different ending to the one normally being performed." Katara intrigued asked "Oh and what is this different ending?"

Zuko merely smiled a knowing smile. "It has the Fire Lord marrying a beautiful woman from a far away land." Katara blushed as she guessed his answer. Zuko stood up extending his hand to Katara, she took it and rose from her chair. "Zuko, I would never have thought that this would happen. I mean after all thats happened who would have expected the water bending peasant and the Fire Lord together." Zuko leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "I know someone who had wished it happened sooner." Katara at his words simply wrapped her arms around his neck and began to lean in to kiss Zuko.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I have some news that might complicate things." Azula's silhouette in the door showed who was interrupting them. As she walked up to Zuko she handed him a report that had arrived recently by fire hawk. "It turns out that the avatar has been sighted about two days away from the capital."

Katara simply looked at the paper in Zuko's hands. She looked at his face and saw that he was clearly worried, did he think that she would leave him with both choices before her? She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, as she leaned her face in close she spoke quietly "This changes nothing, I'm not leaving you for him. I'll talk to Aang when he gets here and explain it to him." Zuko finding his voice again looked at her. "No Katara, your not dealing with this alone. We will talk to him together and make him see our point."

Katara looked at him dubiously, "And if he doesn't see our point." Zuko began to smile "Then I guess we'll just have to send Azula after him. Shall we begin where we left off?" At his question Katara quickly brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

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Well this was fun to write, though I had originally planned on having Sokka, Suki and Kya at the play but decided that I was going to concentrate just on Katara and Zuko.

Thanks to all my reviewers. And to those that didn't just remember the more review I get the faster I write, yes call me self-centered but I consider my ability as a writer directly proportional to my review count.


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